Explained (Season 1)

This documentary series, made in partnership with Vox, explain some of the world's current trends, from politics, to science to pop culture.

The Racial Wealth Gap 7.4
Air date: 2018-05-23
Runtime: 16 min
Overview: Cory Booker and others discuss how slavery, housing discrimination and centuries of inequality have compounded to create a racial wealth gap.
Designer DNA 8.0
Air date: 2018-05-23
Runtime: 17 min
Overview: Scientific feat or terrifying social experiment? Specialists in the field discuss the high stakes and ethical controversies of gene editing.
Monogamy 7.5
Air date: 2018-05-23
Runtime: 18 min
Overview: What do biology, human history and the promiscuity of bonobos reveal about monogamy? Experts and everyday couples weigh in on shifting cultural norms.
K-Pop 8.0
Air date: 2018-05-30
Runtime: 20 min
Overview: Elaborate music videos, adoring fans, killer choreography. Learn about the global music phenomenon from South Korea that goes beyond "Gangnam Style."
Cryptocurrency 7.7
Air date: 2018-06-06
Runtime: 14 min
Overview: Cryptocurrency has made people billionaires, but is digital cash the next revolution? Learn about this anonymous currency and how it's coveted.
Why Diets Fail 7.5
Air date: 2018-06-13
Runtime: 14 min
Overview: Atkins. Paleo. Keto. Do any work in the long term? Experts look at marketing, food environments and genes to explain why diets are often unsuccessful.
The Stock Market 6.7
Air date: 2018-06-20
Runtime: 17 min
Overview: Does the stock market accurately reflect the status of the economy? Finance specialists discuss market history, valuations and CEO incentives.
eSports 6.7
Air date: 2018-06-27
Runtime: 17 min
Overview: Is fake violence a sport? Fans, shoutcasters, and eSports icons break down today's video games and the explosive popularity of competitive gaming.
Extraterrestrial Life 7.0
Air date: 2018-07-04
Runtime: 18 min
Overview: Despite decades of searching, we have yet to discover extraterrestrial life. Scientists discuss the reasons, including: Are aliens just too snobby?
! 6.3
Air date: 2018-07-11
Runtime: 15 min
Overview: Do we overuse exclamation points!? Linguists and copy editors look at how the punctuation has adapted across history, literature and internet-speak.
Cricket 7.0
Air date: 2018-07-18
Runtime: 16 min
Overview: Cricket experts look at how the confusing sport became so popular and discuss its evolution in becoming more accessible entertaining and profitable.
Weed 7.7
Air date: 2018-07-25
Runtime: 20 min
Overview: Marijuana experts discuss the rise of potent "sexually frustrated" cannabis plants, the quests for consistency in weed strains and the history of hemp.
Tattoo 7.3
Air date: 2018-08-01
Runtime: 18 min
Overview: They've been used to command respect, punish criminals and mark achievements. Tattooists speak about the origins of tattoo traditions and rituals.
Astrology 7.0
Air date: 2018-08-08
Runtime: 18 min
Overview: Do zodiac signs prescribe your fate? Or do horoscopes' accuracy lie in the placebo effect? Take a look at the science, history and lure of astrology.
Can We Live Forever ? 7.7
Air date: 2018-08-15
Runtime: 18 min
Overview: Can we uncover the secrets to extending the human lifespan? Experts discuss how developments in science -- even the French lilac -- hold some clues.
The Female Orgasm 7.0
Air date: 2018-08-22
Runtime: 18 min
Overview: The female orgasm is more elusive when a man is involved. Discover the reasons why and how women are embracing hands on solutions.
Political Correctness 7.7
Air date: 2018-08-29
Runtime: 18 min
Overview: Political correctness can sometimes feel like a tug-of-war between inclusivity and free speech. Experts discuss the concepts behind the fraught term.
Why Women Are Paid Less 7.0
Air date: 2018-09-05
Runtime: 18 min
Overview: Hillary Clinton and Anne-Marie Slaughter discuss the cultural norms at the center of the worldwide gender pay gap, including the "motherhood penalty."
The World's Water Crisis 8.7
Air date: 2018-09-12
Runtime: 18 min
Overview: The global water crisis is at an inflection point. How do we price our most valuable resource, while also ensuring access to it as a human right?
Music 7.0
Air date: 2018-09-19
Runtime: 19 min
Overview: When does sound become music? Why are humans so uniquely able to master musicality? Researchers talk rhythm, octaves and the magic of song and dance.